Previous Year Short Questions With Answers (Part- 1) - Aunt Jennifer's Tigers | English Class 12 PDF Download

Q. 1. Read the lines given below and answer the questions that follow :
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen,
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.
(a) Why are the tigers called ‘Aunt Jennifer’s tigers’ ?
Ans. Value Points : – Aunt Jennifer’s creation/Aunt Jennifer has embroidered them/representative of her hidden aspirations & desires.
Detailed Answer : They are called Aunt Jennifer’s tigers because it is she who is embroidering them.
(b) What does the phrase, ‘a world of green’ mean ?
Ans. ‘A world of green’ means forest.
(c) How are the tigers different from their creator ?
Ans. Tigers are different from their creator because they are strong, free and confident
(d) What does the word, ‘chivalric‘ mean ?
Ans. Value Points :–Brave/kind/polite/respectful towards women.
Detailed Answer : The word ‘chivalric‘ means ‘gallant‘ or ‘brave‘.

Q. 2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.
(a) Who are ‘bright topaz denizens’ ?
Ans. Aunt Jennifer’s tigers are ‘bright topaz denizens’.
(b) Where do you find them ?
Ans. They are found on the panel embroidered by Aunt Jennifer.
(c) Why are ‘they’ not afraid of the men ?
Ans. They are fearless and confident.
(d) What does the word ‘sleek’ mean ?
Ans. It means elegant or glossy.
OR
(a) How are Aunt Jennifer’s tigers described ?
Ans. Value Points : Bright / golden like Topaz/inhabitants of jungle / unafraid / confident/elegant / brave pacing / chivalric / prancing.
Detailed Answer : Aunt Jennifer’s tigers have been described as golden yellow in colour
(b) Who are ‘They’ ?
Ans. ‘‘They’’ refers to the tigers which Aunt Jennifer made with wool.
(c) Why are ‘They’ not afraid of men ?
Ans. They, i.e., the tigers are not afraid of men as they are strong and powerful in their natural habitat.
(d) Why are they described as denizens of a world of green ?
Ans. They have been described as a denizen of a world of green because they live in dense green forests.

Q. 3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
“They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.”
(a) Are Aunt Jennifer’s tigers real ?
Ans. No, Aunt Jennifer’s tigers are not real.
(b) Why do the tigers not fear the men beneath the tree ?
Ans. Tigers are a symbol of chivalry.
(c) What do you understand by ‘chivalric certainty’ ?
Ans. Tigers are sure of the power and the strength they possess.
(d) Name the poem and poet.
Ans. Poem – Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers, Poetess – Adrienne Rich.

Q. 4. Read the lines given below and answer the questions that follow :
Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering through her wool
Find even the ivory needle hard to pull.
The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band
Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand.
(a) Why are Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering ?
Ans. Aunt jennifer’s fingers are fluttering because she in nervous and is terrified.
(b) What is the result of the fluttering?
Ans. As a result of her fluttering fingers, Aunt jennifer finds it difficult to pull even the ivory needle.
(c) Explain, ‘The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band’.
Ans. It is a symbol of bondage, she feels shackled.
(d) What is Aunt Jennifer’s state of mind ?
Ans. She is in a state of turmoil.
OR
(a) What is Aunt Jennifer’s mood ?
Ans. Value Points : – Anxious / fearful/ sad / nervous.
Detailed Answer : Aunt Jennifer’s mood is rather nervous and fearful.
(b) Why were Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering ?
Ans. Value Points : – She finds the ivory needle hard to pull/she is nervous because of her husband.
Detailed Answer : Aunt Jennifer lives in constant fear of her husband.
(c) What is ‘Uncle’s wedding band’?
Ans. Value Points : – The wedding ring.
Detailed Answer : Uncle’s wedding band is the wedding ring given to aunt at the time of marriage.
(d) What is suggested by the image of the massive weight of uncle’s wedding band ?
OR
Why is it heavy ?
Ans. Value Points : – Metaphorically represents restrictions/ challenges of Aunt Jennifer’s married life/husband’s domination.
Detailed Answer : The wedding band refers to metal band that keeps her chained and curtails her freedom.
OR
(a) What is Aunt Jennifer doing with her wool ?
Ans. Aunt Jennifer is embroidering beautiful images of tigers by using wool.
(b) Why does she find it difficult to pull her ivory needle ?
Ans. She finds it difficult to pull her ivory needle as she is terrorised and traumatised by the constraints of her married life.
(c) What does ‘wedding band’ stand for ?
Ans. The ‘wedding band’ stands for her marital responsibilities.
(d) Describe the irony in the third line.
Ans. The irony in third line is that her marriage instead of proving blissful has overburdened her with responsibilities.

Q. 5. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow : “When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie. Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by The tigers in the panel that she made Will go prancing proud and unafraid.”
(a) Who is the aunt mentioned here ?
Ans. Aunt Jennifer, the oppressed woman.
(b) What will happen to Aunt Jennifer’s tigers when she is dead ?
Ans. The tigers, created by her, will live a free and fearless life in the forest.
(c) How do the tigers symbolise her inner longing ?
Ans. Aunt creates them to express her suppressed personality and her natural longings
(d) What is the difference between her and tigers ? Ans. Aunt Jennifer is quite weak and submissive while the tigers are bold, strong and powerful.
OR
(a) Who terrified the aunt ?
Ans. Value Points : Uncle/her husband. (Any one)
Detailed Answer : Aunt Jennifer’s husband terrified her.
(b) What did she do to face the terror?
Ans. Value Points : Created tigers on the screen/ embroidered tigers.
Detailed Answer : She embroiders jumping tigers to face the terror.
(c) What is the result of her effort ?
Ans. Value Points : A panel full of tigers/not able to overcome her fear. (Any one)
Detailed Answer : The result of her effort is a panel full of tigers but she can’t overcome her fear.
(d) What does the word, ‘prancing’ mean ?
Ans. Value Points :Springing/ dancing/ moving about. (Any one)
Detailed Answer : The word, ‘prancing’ means dancing or moving about.
OR
(a) Name the poem and the poet of the above stanza.
Ans. Poem- Aunt Jennifer’s Tiger, Poet- Adrienne Rich .
(b) What lies in store for the Aunt?
Ans. Would die as an oppressed and subdued woman / will remain caught in the ordeals of her marriage till her death.
Detailed Answer : Aunt jennifer will remain caught is the ordeals of her married life and a day will come when she would leave the world as an oppressed woman.
(c) Explain “ringed with ordeals”.
Ans. Surrounded by problems of her married life/ wedding ring symbolizes weight of her marriage and ringed also means chained.
Detailed Answer : The phrase signifies that Aunt Jennifer will remain chained and surrounded by the problem of his married life till her death.
(d) Identify and name the poetic device used in the last line of the above stanza.
Ans. “Prancing, proud”- alliteration.